Sadly didn’t have enough time yesterday to make a good edit to include that. Hopefully next year!!

I think it should be fine. Its been a while since we have seen it, but it wasn’t uncommon 15 years ago. Vegas, and i think iowa, are some races that had non paved starts

Nope

Benidrom 🇪🇸

The changes in Spain have already been covered a lot. Start-Finish is now on the steep climb, setting up a Diegem style finish after the stairs. There is a new sandpit near the old start-finish locations

Koksijde🏖️

The race in Koksijde will no longer pass the military airfield due to security concerns, so the start-finish has been moved to the main road. The rest of the course remains the same, but there is a bit more distance between the last sand and the finish

Antwerp wouldn't be Antwerp without undergoing changes🇧🇪

The start finish has been moved to a new location, not next to the beach. There is a bit less sand now, with the hill on the field getting a more prominent location towards the finish

The start-finish will be situated right next to the local harbor, on one of the gravel roads. The first two straightaways are gravel through the town as well. The race then heads into the forest, on a course that seems flat. Last year, hills and sandpits were built in Cabras

2025-2026 UCI World Cup Course Changes 🌍🧵

Terralba 🇮🇹
It was previously announced that the Sardinia World Cup would be moved from Cabrad to Terralba this year 🇮🇹
Specifically, the race will held in Marceddì, a town with almost exclusively gravel roads.

If its anything to go by, this organisation put on the 2007 and 2009 Milan world championships

Rome World Cup heritage

Italian sports organization Pedali di Marca has placed a bid for the 2029 Cyclocross World Championships 🌈 The Italian venue will be announced later, but would be in Veneto 🇮🇹

The other candidates are
Benidorm 🇪🇸
Debrecen/Budapest 🇭🇺

The venue will be announced on Thursday by the UCI

e spoke with US Cyclocross champion Vida Lopez De San Roman in Crans Montana after she won silver in the U23 XCO race! She’s excited to hit the cross season after the MTB season.
However, Ian Ackert has decided to drop cross and focus on MTB👇
cyclocrosssocial.substack.com/p/inside-cyc...

A day at VermontCrossCamp!!

We made a movie! Four years on the road with EuroCrossAcademy, getting into the trenches of cyclocross development.
ECA: Hammers in the Forge is out on youtube!

youtu.be/wpc3Vvu0Css?...

After 8 seasons at the top of U.S. racing, Katie Clouse has retired. Following a 13th at the World Championships, Clouse reached out to multiple sponsors. Unfortunately, all talks fell through, after which she decided to end an impressive career.
Full interview:
open.substack.com/pub/cyclocro...

Cyclocross at the Winter Olympics? Here is the latest!
(free for everyone)
cyclocrosssocial.substack.com/p/inside-cyc...

Inside Cyclocross #31 The cyclocross season is over, and so is Sanne Cant's career. This week we reflect on her monumental career, as well as several other stories!

Special attention for the retirement of Sanne Cant in this weeks inside cyclocross with a long read on her career!
We also cover a bid for the 2029 Belgian Championships and Iserbyt’s premature season end

cyclocrosssocial.substack.com/p/inside-cyc...

Flamanville has placed a bid for the 2027 European Cyclocross Championships. The 2025 and 2026 events will be held in Middelkerke and Zeddam respectively
cyclocrosssocial.substack.com/p/inside-cyc...

The latest news from inside cyclocross 👇
open.substack.com/pub/cyclocro...

Your are obviously right that atm the money is mainly in Belgium. The sport however needs to expand, and i do think there is potential. France deserves a second round. North Spain, UK and Hungary also seem like they would be successful

Its not much of a world cup with 7 races in Belgium. The idea of bringing more riders to that area is noble, but wont work without money. More races away from home is less incentive for sponsors to finance that

This wasn’t a call to bring back the American world cups, although i think there is still some potential in early November. Its pointing out that the idea to “increase rounds to visit more countries” has horribly failed

The US races disappeared for a variety of reasons, but wouldn’t really fit in this world cup due to it starting in November. Broader problem is that, despite big words, there are barely any new events in Europe

Some overarching thoughts on the 2025 cyclocross world championships 👇
open.substack.com/pub/cyclocro...

Compare now to the world cup pre 2020 reform. The number of races has gone from 9 to 12, but all growth has gone to Belgian races. The number of non Dutch/Belgian WC has been increased from 3 to 4, but there are no North American WC anymore. Number of Belgian/Dutch rounds has increased from 3 to 7

With Koksijde taking the final spot of the World Cup calendar, the schedule violates UCI regulations. No more than 50% of World Cup races should take place in 1 country, but still 7/12 World Cups will take place in Belgium.
Another sign that the international state of CX is dire

"Geen reden tot paniek": Belgian Cycling relativeert mager WK en maakt zich geen zorgen "dankzij gunstige trend" | sporza Met het ontbreken van een wereldtitel en slechts 2 medailles bij de jeugd was het WK veldrijden in Liévin geen schot in de roos voor de Belgische delegatie.

sporza.be/nl/2025/02/0...

BC: "The youth categories have become more international in recent years, but as soon as foreign riders join a team they leave CX."

The lack of top tier talents isnt a problem for Belgium, because a cyclocross career is only feasible for Belgians. Harsh reality of the current state of cyclocross.

Mixed relay 🤩🤩

It will only make the course more fun!